This invention relates generally to toy projectile launchers, and more particularly to a dual flywheel powered toy projectile launcher.
Toy projectile launchers are well known in the art. These toys are suitably made for children and use harmless foam projectiles that are launched through the air. These launches may employ various spring loaded mechanism, such as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,711,285, which includes a pair of spring loaded launch tubes to separately launch projectiles. Other mechanisms such as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,791,326 employs compressed air. In addition thereto, flywheels or launching wheels have further been incorporated in these toys, such as the launching wheels disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,471,967 or those employed in any self-pitching machine device.
In addition thereto, launching toys have developed various means for loading and firing multiple projectiles. For example: U.S. Pat. No. 5,988,152 discloses a toy gun that fires multiple projectiles with a single cycle of an actuation device, which is arranged to engage a spring that moves a reciprocating piston that fires the projectiles; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,711,285 mentioned above includes two launch tubes that separately launch projectiles.
Furthermore, the energy or power supplied by these toys to launch the projectiles is limited by the launching mechanisms. Launchers that utilize spring loaded mechanisms, pressurized air mechanisms and even some battery operated launching wheel mechanisms include a predetermined supply of energy. For instance, in a spring loaded mechanism the total amount of energy capable of being supplied to launch the projectile is determined from the spring, or in a battery operated launcher the total amount of energy is determined from the total output from the battery. A need therefore exists to provide projectile launchers that permit the user to control the amount of energy being supplied to launch the projectile. The user may then achieve a higher performance, meaning the user may launch the projectiles further then in a launcher that supplies a limited amount of energy.
In one such attempt, U.S. Pat. No. 5,611,321 discloses a ball launching device utilizing a self-propelled launching wheel to launch balls. As opposed to the above methods of supplying energy to the launching wheel, the ""321 patent uses a hand pump to spin the launching wheel. As such, the users ability to repeat the spinning of the launching wheel at a faster rate will increase the launching velocity of the balls. As such a person with greater strength is capable of obtaining a higher or increase performance. However, the need still exists for improvements thereon. For instance, while the launching wheel may build up energy from repeated pumping, the energy drains quickly, since there is no means for storing this energy. Also, the incorporation of a single launching wheel will expel its energy quicker, then multiple wheels.
In accordance with the present invention, there is provided a toy projectile launcher having a housing that supports a handle, a launch channel, and a pump handle. The launch channel has an entrance and an exit, which permits a projectile to enter and exit therethrough. The projectile launcher includes a pair of flywheels that are in communication with and separately positioned on either side of the launch channel. The pump handle is slidably connected to the housing and is in communication with the pair of flywheels such that when the pump handle is moved inwardly the flywheels rotate. In addition, the projectile launcher includes a means for preventing a projectile positioned in the entrance opening from entering the launch channel and thus being launched, as well as including a triggering means for releasing the preventing means. As such, when a projectile is loaded in the entrance opening, a user gripping the handle must press the triggering means to move the projectile from the entrance opening to the launch channel. If the user has sufficiently rotated the flywheels, then the flywheels will engage the projectile entering the launch channel and impel it out of the exit opening.
Various shapes of projectiles are plausible, for instance the present invention includes a dart, glider and sphere. Because these darts have different shapes, the launch channel has an internal shape similar thereto, to permit the projectile to travel therethrough substantially unobstructed. In addition, the contour of the flywheels is substantially the same as the tip of the projectile, in order to adequately grip the tip of the projectile and launch it through the channel.
When the body of the projectile is larger than the tip, as in the glider, the flywheels further include grooves that permit the body of the projectile to travel therethrough substantially friction free. In yet other embodiment of the present invention, when the projectile launcher includes spheres, the launch channel may be pivotably attached to the housing, which permits the launched spheres to have a curved trajectory.
Numerous other advantages and features of the invention will become readily apparent from the following detailed description of the invention and the embodiments thereof, from the claims, and from the accompanying drawings.